Plaid Patterns for a Warm and Cozy Christmas Table

Now that December is here, it's time to set tables with pretty china, shimmering glassware, and the glow of metals! All given depth with black accents and the warmth of brightly colored fabrics. I admit to liking all of these all year long! But especially during the Christmas season these are some of the things that heighten anticipation and joy.

  

I've joined a Christmas Tablescape Blog Hop organized by the amazing Rita of Panoply. She has gathered fifteen of us to share our ideas for festive tables perfect for celebrating the holiday season! You're sure to enjoy all of the tables — their links are listed at the end of this post.

 

I decided to style a table that embodies warmth and coziness. I immediately thought of plaid with its mix of deep, rich colors and its generally heavier texture. But I didn't just choose a plaid, I went with three patterns, all in colorways of red, green and white. First the tablecloth with its balance of colors in roughly equal proportions, then napkins which are predominately red with lesser amounts of green and white. Finally for a different type of texture I used dinner plates that are mostly red, with thin stripes of green and a tiny bit of white.

Lovely napkin rings made of brilliant red cardinals on snowy boughs were a wonderful gift from Greg a couple of years ago. They are laid across bread plates with deep rims in glossy black. A black lantern repeats their color in a matte finish, and makes a striking centerpiece!

    

Charcoal gray, softer than black, encircles the salad plates and colors the charming houses in their center. Everything is outfitted with red bows and greenery. The candle by the Christmas tree seems to beckon you in, out of the snow. A warm and cozy welcome!

 

   

Guests at the table will experience their own bit of candlelight on the sideboard, simply decorated with a bouquet of amaryllis blooms, Santa and his overflowing bag of toys.

This photo shows the interplay of the plaid patterns, the lovely accent of pine boughs and the bright red berries adorning the centerpiece. 

Afternoon sunlight sets the glassware aglow! Red flutes will hold mimosas (if it's a brunch gathering) or Greg's traditional champagne cocktail (if it's a later get-together). Vintage wine glasses can also be used for water. I love their minimal etched pattern. It's called "Holly" which is why I chose it, but I think the design looks more like laurel leaves. Either way it's a subdued loveliness.

   

Two pairs of salt and pepper shakers have joined the table. I used one of each set on either side of the centerpiece. Santa is rather whimsical and the trees bear only the slightest suggestion of the yule tide. About the tree s/p shakers — this one has a gold star topper, while the other one has a red star, as though you'd need to tell the salt and pepper shakers apart, when you can clearly see their contents! (I won't fill them until later. . .)

Pine boughs support the lantern while smaller pieces surround the candle along with some of the berries. For a touch of sparkle I've added shimmering glass pine cones in white.

    

The leaves have finally begun to fall from the trees and suddenly our patio is bathed in light. Without their cover more sunlight enters the garden room than in summer, masking the chilly temps outside.

   

Santa is carrying a pretty tree with him, almost like a bouquet,

    

while another sits inside his bag of toys.

    

I love the plaid patterns and the mix of colors and textures! I like the differences in pattern sizes as well, so that each stands out.

I've had the lanterns for a number of years. Six in different sizes sit by the fireplace and on the hearth throughout the year, and occasionally find themselves on the table, as in Greetings -- the Birds of Winter.

    

If you've visited Dinner at Eight before, you know that I also love to use birds throughout the seasons on my tables, which is why these napkin rings were such a wonderfully thoughtful gift. 

    

Other tables I've styled with plaid include Snowdrifts on a Plaid Table and A Merry Plaid Christmas, as well as one of my earliest on the blog: A Partridge in a Pear Tree. (Forgive the lighting on the last one).

       

I think this meets my desire for a warm and cozy Christmas table!

One that beckons you to join me at the table!

I'm delighted to present my fellow stylists in the Blog Hop — I'm sure you will find wonderful inspiration for your Christmas table in the tablescapes listed below!

 

Panoply - Gnome for the Holidays

Home is Where the Boat Is - A Delivery from St. Nick

My Thrift Store Addiction - Gingerbread Galore Homespun Christmas Tablescape

Everyday Living - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Pandora's Box - Holly and Jolly

The Bookish Dilettante - Evergreen Inspired Christmas Tablescape

The Little Yellow Corner Store - The Magic of a Nutcracker Christmas Tablescape

Celebrating Everyday Life - How to Style an Elegant Black & White Christmas Table

The Painted Apron - Christmas Sparkle

The Cat's Whiskerz - A Christmas Tablescape in Traditional Colors

Life and Linda - Nutcracker Themed Tablescape

Dinner at Eight - Plaid Patterns for a Warm and Cozy Christmas Table

Corner of Plaid and Paisley - Christmas at the Barn

Thrifting Wonderland - All is Bright Tablescape

Red Cottage Chronicles - A Red and White Christmas Tablesetting

     

 

Thank you for joining me! 

Merry Christmas

Table details

Dinner plates | Williams-Sonoma ‘Tartan Plaid’

Salad plates | Royal Stafford ‘Christmas Home’

Wine glasses | Fostoria ‘Holly’

Napkin rings | Kim Seybert ‘Holiday Cardinal’

Lantern | Crate & Barrel ‘Petaluma’